Leucanthemum plant named ‘Kiedai’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Leucanthemum  plant named ‘Kiedai’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; dark green foliage; early and continuous flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with; white-colored ray florets and bright yellow-colored disc florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumleucanthemum cultivar Kiedai.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLeucanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum leucanthemum andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kiedai’.

The new Leucanthemum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Steenbergen, The Netherlands. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create compact Leucanthemum cultivars thatflower early and have good garden performance.

The new Leucanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in the spring of 1995, in Steenbergen, The Netherlands, of aproprietary Chrysanthemum leucanthemum seedling selection identified ascode number 92.2006, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary Chrysanthemum leucanthemum seedling selection identified ascode number 91.1953, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thenew Leucanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grownin a controlled environment in Steenbergen, The Netherlands. Theselection of this plant was based on its compact plant habit and earlyflowering.

Asexual reproduction of the new Leucanthemum by vegetative tip cuttingswas first conducted in Steenbergen, The Netherlands in 1998. Asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newLeucanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Kiedai has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or lightlevel, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Kiedai’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Kiedai’ as a new and distinct Leucanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.    -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   3. Early and continuous flowering habit.    -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets and        bright yellow-colored disc florets.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Leucanthemum are not as compact and have largerInflorescences than plants of the female parent selection. Plants of thenew Leucanthemum are more compact and have smaller inflorescences thanplants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Leucanthemum can be compared to plants of theLeucanthemum cultivar Kiemar, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,978.In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Steenbergen,The Netherlands, plants of the new Leucanthemum differed from plants ofthe cultivar Kiemar in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Leucanthemum grew faster and stronger than        plants of the cultivar Kiemar.    -   2. Plants of the new Leucanthemum had smaller inflorescences        than plants of the cultivar Kiemar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Leucanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newLeucanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kiedai’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Kiedai’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Kiedai has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotographs and following observations, measurements and comparisonsdescribe plants grown in Lompoc, Calif., under commercial practiceduring the winter in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with daytemperatures about 18 to 24° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C.and light levels about 4,000 to 8,000 foot-candles. Unrooted cuttingswere directly planted in 10-cm containers and had been growing for aboutseven weeks when the photographs and description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum leucanthemum cultivar    Kiedai.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Chrysanthemum            leucanthemum seedling selection identified as code number            92.2006, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Chrysanthemum            leucanthemum seedling selection identified as code number            91.1953, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About four weeks at 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Compact and upright plant habit; narrow inverted            triangle. Freely basal branching with about five lateral            branches per plant. Moderately vigorous.        -   Plant height.—About 26 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 9 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About            3.5 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Glabrous, smooth; longitudinally ridged. Color:            144A; longitudinal stripes, 59A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;            sessile. Length: About 5.5 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate; clasping. Margin:            Irregularly dentate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; slightly glandular. Venation pattern:            Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower            surfaces: 146A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper            surface: 146B. Venation, lower surface: 146A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with            ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged            acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences persistent. Not            fragrant. Typically one terminal inflorescence and two            lateral inflorescence per lateral branch.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower            in the spring. Under greenhouse conditions, plant flower            year-round. Flowering continuous. Early flowering, plants            begin to flower about four weeks after planting cuttings.        -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about 10 to 14 days on the plant.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About            1.2 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 157A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.8 cm. Diameter of disc: About 2 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 2.1 cm. Receptacle height: About 1 cm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Ligulate with longitudinal ridges.            Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90° from vertical            or perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Initially incurved,            then reflexed. Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Apex:            Emarginate. Base: Acute; short corolla tube. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.            Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 28 arranged            in about two rows. Color: When opening, upper and lower            surfaces: 155A. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces:            155D; towards the base, 146C.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About            7 mm. Width, at apex: About 1 mm. Width, at base: Less than            1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 450.            Color, immature: 145B. Color, mature: Apex: 11A.            Mid-section: 145C. Base: 146C.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity/arrangement: About 42 in about three            imbricate whorls. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:            Truncate. Margin: Entire, membranous. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: 144A.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 9 cm. Length,            second peduncle: About 8 cm. Length, third peduncle: About            2.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Aspect: Terminal, upright;            second and third, outward. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth; longitudinally ridged. Color: 137A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Stamen quantity: Five. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther            length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 14A. Pollen amount:            Scarce. Pollen color: 14A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray            and disc florets. Pistil quantity: One. Pistil length: About            5 mm. Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: 14A. Style            length: About 2 mm. Style color: 154C. Ovary color: 145A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Leucanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    greenhouse conditions.-   Garden performance: Good garden performance; plants of the new    Leucanthemum have been observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from 5 to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Leucanthemum plant named ‘Kiedai’, asillustrated and described.